Dumbarton Oaks
West Heating Plant Renderings Released
Image courtesy of WCP.
Renderings of the proposed West Heating Plant condo project were released yesterday (these come via Aaron Weiner at the City Paper). The images come the day after the group behind the project held a public meeting to unveil their plans for the building. GM unfortunately couldn’t make it to the meeting, but between the City Paper, Carol Joynt, and the Current (see your front steps for the link), it seems to have been sufficiently covered.
So by all means read those articles. But one theme they missed is how much this public relations effort has a bit of gamesmanship to it. Here’s why:
The Four Seasons group wants to tear the building down. Period. It wants to do so because that is the only way they can make back a good return on the $19.5 million they paid for the property. Trying to repurpose the building without tearing it down would require either massive amounts of money, or a decision to use the space for something other than condos. Once that $19.5 million is out the door, those options largely disappear.
And that’s the rub. Continue reading
Filed under Development
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Maryland GovPics.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- I-Thai shooting for December opening.
- Olivia Macaron sold out on their first couple days (maybe GM’s being cynical, but running out of a product on the first couple days sounds like a great PR move. Just saying.)
- The owner of that tiny house on P St. has an awesome sense of style.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Georgetown as a Business Incubator
Sometimes when you get too focused on the influx of large national chains into Georgetown, it’s easy to overlook how much Georgetown has served as a successful business incubator over the years.
The most obvious recent example is, of course, Georgetown Cupcake. Started in a small shop on Potomac St. in 2008, the company is now an indestructible national force. But it’s not the only business to make a splash after getting its first foothold in Georgetown.
Sweet Green was founded by some young Georgetown grads just a few months before and located in an old Little Tavern just two blocks west. Unlike the publicity-seeking Georgetown Cupcake, Sweet Green has quietly grown to 20 locations from here to Boston.
Dolcezza is another Georgetown-born success story. They still make quarts and quarts of the region’s best gelato in the basement of their Wisconsin Ave. location. (The production will soon shift to the ultra-hip Union Market, at which point, sadly, they possibly might close the Georgetown location.) Continue reading
Filed under Restaurants, Retail
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Rob.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- West Heating Plant condos to be the most expensive condos in DC “by far”.
- Hat store apparently coming to Georgetown. Do people really buy many hats these days?
Filed under Uncategorized
The Multi-Outfitted Skeleton of Volta Place Returns Again
Every year at this time, GM’s neighbors, Marnie and Dennis Kenney, post a skeleton on their stoop (above is a photo from a few years ago). And every day he or she (the skeleton is of indeterminate sex) gets a new, often increasingly creepy, outfit. Last night it was wearing a bridal veil, which is about the creepiest look a skeleton can have.
Here’s some more photo’s of Mr. or Mrs. Skeleton from years past. GM hopes the borderline disturbing ballerina makes a reappearance this year!
Here he is exploring his French impressionist side:
Here she is baking up a fine souffle:
Filed under Around Town
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Al Fernandez.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Georgetown among the best places to trick or treat in DC, although GM finds it’s a little hit or miss depending on the block.
- Renderings released for the Post Office project. It’s kind of depressing how widdled away the original plans were.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
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